Page 45 - Battleground The Media Volume 1 and 2

| Alternat ve Med a n the Un ted States

PaCiFiCa nETwork
After WWII, media producers looking for distribution sources outside of the
mainstream media were able to create radio venues for alternative voices. Paci-
fica Network, founded in the 1950s by Louis Hill, acquired five stations in major
cities: Los Angeles; San Francisco; New York; Washington, DC; and Houston.
Because this community radio network is able to sustain itself through listener
contributions, the stations were not subject to the pressures of NPR and the
need for corporate sponsors. However, while this network has served communi-
ties for years and developed innovative programs that draw on the strength of
activist groups, individual talent, and academic producers, among others, the
network has been beleaguered by budget shortfalls and internal disputes over
competing visions for alternative media.

PEg aCCEss

In the early 1980s, when cable technology dramatically increased the num-
ber of channels and services available, public and alternative media entered an
era of expansion and innovation. Channels for public, educational, and govern-
ment (PEG) access were mandated through cable franchises in thousands of cit-
ies and towns across the country. PEG access channels provide live coverage of
town meetings, high school basketball games, and space for community orga-
nizations and individuals to have ongoing programming. In many cities, these
channels have become important locations for community dialogue. The local
franchises often provide a percentage of the cable revenue for funding media
centers to program these channels. This funding is based on the fact that the
cable lines utilize a public resource: the local rights-of-way. In order to build
the cable system, access to local streets and manholes is needed. In exchange for
this, local franchise authorities have negotiated for channels, equipment, staff,
and housing for local media centers. Tucson, Arizona; Burlington, Vermont; and
Grand Rapids, Michigan are just a few of the places where PEG access resources
have brought a good measure of democratic expression to local issues. However,
the channel space has increasingly become a desirable asset, and the cable cor-
porations and companies have been fighting hard to try to undercut access use
and free up more channels for commercial programming.

PaPEr TigEr TELEvision
Paper Tiger Television started as a public access program in New York City.
Artists and activists worked with cultural critics to produce educational and
informational programs that aired over two access cable channels. From the
beginning, many of the shows focused on media themes, offering critiques of
programs, newspapers, and regulatory and ownership issues, controversies that
continue to surround the corporate media. The Paper Tiger collective has lasted
27 years, producing over 400 programs. Paper Tiger expanded from cable and
continues to distribute its programs to schools, colleges, community groups,
and overseas venues.